This list is actually for my own use, but like my list of mid-Atlantic book festivals, it’s easier to put it up here. This is a list of book promotion websites that I and writers on other websites say have been effective for them.
I’ve also added some unusual author resources that writers in particular genres will find useful.
Warning: Do your own research. Some sites effective in reaching readers of one genre, say romance, might be wretched for another category. Ads on social media platforms seem especially susceptible to this. What’s popular this quarter may dramatically change six months later.
I plan on updating this list quarterly, adding new ones and removing ones that seem to be fading, so feel free to nominate sites of your own or critique my choices by email.
This list reflects only what I’ve experienced or read. There are no affiliate links on this page, nor have I received any compensation for listing them here.
Last Update: March 1, 2021 (to add the Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing Audiobooks link)
Audiobooks
The Ultimate Guide to Audiobooks for Authors is a comprehensive overview for authors contemplating moving into this market.
Book Promotion Websites
Prolific Works (formerly Instafreebie)
Advertising Websites
The Ultimate Guide to Bookbub Ads
Website Building for Authors
Robert Mening’s Best Website Builders. Robert tested these website-builders personally for this post. I haven’t tried many of them, but I agree with his opinion about WordPress.
A WordPress theme designed especially for writers, from David Gaughran’s website.
Research Help
For crime writers, the Writer’s Detective Bureau is a great resource for getting the details right about how police investigate criminal acts. In each podcast, Adam Richardson, a longtime LAPD detective, answers three questions from listeners. Each podcast is short at about 15 minutes, but he does his research so the answers are valuable. For example, when I was doing a developmental edit on a cozy mystery, I needed to know just how police question witnesses. A search on this page led to the episode, “Interview Dialogue and a Cozy Mystery Turned Murder Mystery.” Even better, Adam provides a transcript of each episode, so I could cut and paste the information and send it to the author! He also, for a fee, perform manuscript review and traditional technical advising services, and you can join his Patreon for greater access and bonuses. Highly recommended even if you’re not a crime writer.
Sidebar Saturdays is for authors needed advice about intellectual property. Recommended by Adam Richardson of the Writer’s Detective Bureau.